• Purgatory Chasm
• Tuckerman Avenue, Middletown, RI
• Trailhead: 41°29’14.47″N, 71°16’9.89″W
• Last Time Hiked: April 24, 2014
• Previous Visits: March 23, 2014
• Approximate distance hiked: 0.3 miles
• Easy.

There are two Purgatory Chasm’s in Southern New England, one being here in Middletown, Rhode Island and the other in Massachusetts (hike for another day). There is really no difficulty in reaching this site as the entire “trail system” is very short. However, this is a wonderful geological feature that most people are not even aware of. It is well worth a visit if you are just in the area or adding it as a supplement to a nearby hike. The chasm is a glacial cleft about 10 feet wide and about 50 feet deep that is continuously being filled with seawater. From the parking area follow the main path a few hundred feet to a wooden bridge. At the bridge you can view the chasm. There are other paths on the site. If you choose to venture on these paths use extreme caution near the edges. This is not a site that you would want to do any falling at. From the edges of the cliffs you also have sweeping views of Second Beach and Sachuest Point.

I did not find a trail map on-line.

The Chasm